


Petrichor

by Suzuranao (IamLurking)



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Tags In Progress, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-23 21:55:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11998713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IamLurking/pseuds/Suzuranao
Summary: "Even the stars are different in this world, but the rain and the smell of wet earth and grass is the same here and there."The lands of Zenith, and the stories of the heroes traversing the world in the name of their cause.





	1. Postrimería

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of feelings about the possible backstory and worldbuilding elements that Zenith, and therefore the kingdoms of Askr and Embla might have. 
> 
> Not entirely a novelization, but rather me trying to fill in the gaps. Characters and pairings will be added as the story progresses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think Anna and the siblings met far before she was inducted in the order of heroes. And that her duty to her country was stronger than her lust for gold.
> 
> Postrimería: (ES) The last period in something's duration.

 The first time she met the royal siblings was at age 11.

 

The talks had stopped for lunch break and she had sneaked a peek at the two of them. The prince looked her age and the princess much younger, perhaps 7 like her youngest sister An _na_.

 

Later, she found herself doing a sleight of hand to make the younger one, Sharena, laugh. She was incredibly giggly but terribly shy and preferred to hide behind her brother. Until she made her laugh by pulling a coin out of her ear that is.

 

Her brother was serious but he looked in amazement at the trick too. And it wasn't long until _A_ nna's mother shook her head at seeing their clothes all dirty, having picked up sticks and mock fought with the prince until they both fell into a pile of mud.

 

(Her mother was smiling however, so she knew she wasn't in trouble beyond helping with the laundry next time.)

 

It eventually morphed into a pattern. She would spend some of the mornings they went to the castle to sit in talks, learning details of the financial status of the kingdom and numerous trade agreements and squabbles between nobles, and then left to interact with the royal siblings for the rest of the afternoon after lunch, while her mother and older sister discussed more sensitive topics.

 

Not that she didn't catch wind of it eventually. Usually because of the little snippets of conversations she heard and pieced together eventually.

 

There really wasn't much to worry about however. Everything was recovering slowly from Embla's invasion, and the relationship between their kingdoms was slowly in the mend. Her older sisters had already left, one departing for another outrealm and the other still in Zenith as a traveling merchant. Her younger sister was thinking of departing to another world as well when she was older and maybe returning later.

 

 _A_ nna didn't want to leave. She wanted to wander, she felt it in her very blood, but for some reason the pull to this land that had seen her grow and flourish was stronger. When asked by her parents what she wanted to do once she came of age, her answer did not surprise them for some reason and her mother pulled her to show her the in depth workings of her job. If she was to take over eventually then better earlier than later.

 

Enduring the public appearances with the higher echlons of society was a necessary evil, but at least she could interact with Sharena and Alfonse. Especially complain with him as the expectations to behave as a proper child who would follow in their parent's footsteps were something they had in common. It was a nice feeling, growing up with someone who also knew her sisters and knew how to pronounce her own name and her sister's too so they never got mixed up, and someone who challenged her to constant sparring as her fighting skills grew. 

 

At least, until she met Veronica when she herself was just barely of age.

 

She was barely older than Sharena by some years, and younger than Anna herself by the same amount. And yet, such a tiny girl effortlessly had conquered heroes to do her bidding. She remembered that they had gone into the world of Grannvale earlier that year, and Embla had promised them that it had been completely safe. She didn't know how to feel when she saw the damage Eldigan had done to the small outpost they had set on the very edges of Grannvale.

 

It was only because how close she was to the portal that they avoided being locked inside. Alfonse had been with her so she didn't think twice about dragging him back the moment she saw Eldigan reappear this time with Lachesis on tow and more horrifyingly, with soldiers bearing Embla's crest. She ran to get reinforcements, someone from the castle that could help her, because both knew that Alfonse could barely open a portal big enough for one of them in such a short amount of time, and they needed something for all the people still trapped there.

 

The soldiers would resist, she had trained with that squadron a few months before when she was dared to by Alfonse. They had horse slayers, they would be fine, was the mantra she repeated all the while from the nearest outpost and back, queen and royal guard in tow. But her friend wasn't there anymore, only a small portal remained and she ran inside immediately, not waiting for the queen to open it enough back again.

 

The nearest weapon was a discarded axe, and she grabbed it just in time to block a lancer who had cornered the prince, protecting Mayura, the one mage she remembered from the squadron.  _A_ nna didn't want to think about the profuse blood stains in her clothes, not in this moment.

 

After that, everything was a blur with one single vivid image remaining in her mind, even after all these years. A tiny girl, wielding a sacred tome and staring at them with the most impassive expression while she commanded an army they barely fended off by the skin of their teeth. Eldigan and Lachesis were still bound by their contract. The portal was open with no one left to close it.  _A_ nna knew she did the right thing by dragging Alfonse out and going to get help, but the sight of such destruction still left a bitter taste in her mouth after she couldn't help them when they truly needed it.

 

She was far better with a bow, but she never wanted to leave anyone behind ever again and for that she needed to be there in the fray. So she picked an axe, and donned the white and gold of the order. 

 

And when things got dire, when Sharena had also joined them and both Alfonse and them started losing more people than they could train, she passed over Nóatún in the royal armory, picked Breidavik instead, wishing that all those stories of her youth were true.

 

And fired it up against the wide expanse of unmarred blue skies.


	2. Chispear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chispear: (ES) Very light rain that can be barely felt at all.
> 
> I had half a thought to write Kiran's first look at Zenith when at the beginning of the game, but then i wouldn't be filling in the gaps would I?
> 
> My own Kiran's name is Eirian, but i thought it might be easier to keep the canon name instead.

His foot had stopped bleeding long ago, but the soft, torn blanket around it was slightly humid and cold. The other torn half was wrapped around his other foot to prevent another jagged shard of rock piercing the skin of his unharmed foot. The air was slightly humid but bitterly cold, to the point the soft clothes and scarves weren't enough to prevent the chill from getting through him. 

 

It wasn't his fault that he had been called into this world while wearing only indoor clothing as he had been napping on his couch on a cold day. He already mourned the blanket he had used, as he didn't think he would be able to salvage it from all the mud.

 

A drop of water hit his nose, tiny enough that he was almost certain he had imagined it, and looked to the overcast sky. Another one hit his cheek and soon enough there was a fine mist descending on them. It took a long while, but eventually he heard footsteps stepping on the wet grass, coming beside him.

 

"You'll catch a cold if you stay outside in this rain for too long." The princess' voice was slightly worried, and Kiran turned his head to look at her.

 

They just finished repelling the attack on the few soldiers of Veronica. He still didn't know how to feel about staring at Xander's face in the flesh, and neither how his heart jumped in fear at the commanding presence he gave off. They were resting for a while, still some miles away from the nearest outpost and the nearest pair of shoes he could get.

 

Kiran would gladly walk on both bloodied and destroyed feet three times what he had already if it meant that it all was just a dream.

 

The sharp pain in his right foot told him it wasn't.

 

"I'm alright Sharena. A little rain won't kill me, i am used to far stronger, though warmer rain." He did pull the red scarf tighter around his neck however, and closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply, focusing on the smell of wet grass and the weight of the weapon on his hand. If he concentrated hard enough, he could almost pretend his younger sister was about to yell at him to come inside and at least take an umbrella.

 

Little sisters did tend to worry too much. And it was her memory that made him open his eyes and smile at Sharena, and start walking gingerly to the huge tree that was sheltering them for the moment, it's dense folliage not letting a single drop of water hit the grass and flowers beneath it.

 

Anna was sitting underneath, munching on some kind of jerky, while the prince was leaning on the trunk so that he could only see his profile.

 

If Kiran squinted very hard, the blonde highlights almost looked like wings, especially as they seemed to blend in the golden headpiece he wore. Sharena's own was almost unnoticeable because of her hair color, but his dark blue made the contrast all the more striking.

 

And yet while Sharena and Anna seemed to receive him somewhat warmly, even if he was a stranger to them, Alfonse did not. He understood in a way, but it did made him slightly curious. Not everyone could be as cheerful and open however, so he didn't think anything of it, and sat beside him, though leaving a comfortable distance.

 

Sharena sat right between them and Anna scooted closer, offering him some of her food. Kiran almost hesitated as he wasn't hungry, but he hadn't eaten before he had gotten here, maybe a full day since he last ate back home. He didn't know what it was but the very moment he started he finished it almost immediately, not realizing how hungry it had been. 

 

Anna laughed at how fast he had finished it, and offered some more, assuring him she had already gotten her fill and had more on her anyways. It was heavily spiced and salted, so similar but so different from the jerky he had been used to, and tried not to think about it. Eventually, he felt full enough to lean back and just watch the weak rain fall, where once in a while a drop sneaked past the leaves and hit one of them in the face.

 

It was relatively quiet, Sharena and Anna's voices carrying only to his ears as they talked about the order, Alfonse interjecting once in a while. Kiran wondered if he couldn't ask for clothes of darker color if he couldn't keep his own. White was regal and striking, but he also knew firsthand that removing stains was a nightmare even with modern cleaning products. Kiran wondered if they cleaned them by magic here.

 

The rain didn't seem to let down for a while and eventually Anna said they would have to continue despite it since they were so close already. He could almost feel his foot protesting at the thought of it, but the sooner he could get to clean water and something to disinfect that, he would rest easier. The princess got up first and offered her hand, him stumbling slightly to his feet as he realized how tired he was. 

 

Sharena smiled at him and detached her cape so they could use it as a makeshift umbrella, her chattering all the way about themselves and the lands they were walking through, half an hour at most from a pair of shoes and rest, reminding him so much of her sister and all those years of walking back home in the rain.

 

And as the rain stopped, and the smell of wet earth permeated the landscape, all Kiran could think was how much he already missed her.


End file.
